Oasis closing for furloughs

Oasis State Park will close for five days this winter and spring as part of Gov. Bill Richardson’s plan to reduce state spending by employee furloughs.

The park is set to be closed Thursday, as well as Jan. 15, Feb. 9, March 2 and March 23, according to a news release from Oasis.

All New Mexico State Parks will be closed the same days.

Visitors are required to leave the parks by 9 p.m. the night before the closure day. The parks will open at 7 a.m. the day after the closure, according to the release.

Visitors with advance reservations for those days will receive refunds and/or rain checks, and will be able to re-book reservations, according to the release. State park rangers are expected to be on patrol or stand by during the closure days.